London boy Michael Kiwanuka talks meaning in music, his influences and hanging out with Kanye
BBC's Sound of 2012 newcomer award winner has left four years since his debut Home Again album
FEW albums are as brave and ambitious as Michael Kiwanuka’s second.
It’s four years since the 28-year-old North Londoner released his debut Home Again to universal acclaim.
He won the BBC’s Sound of 2012 newcomer award and was nominated for a Mercury Award.
His strong, soulful voice drew comparisons with greats such as Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye and was framed by warm acoustic arrangements.
But nothing could prepare his listeners for the giant strides he’s made with album No2, Love & Hate.
Helping the process were esteemed sonic adventurer Danger Mouse (The Black Keys, Gorillaz, Gnarls Barkley) and up-and-coming producer Inflo as well as long-time associate Paul Butler.
It begins with the epic ten-minute Cold Little Heart, Kiwanuka’s vocals only kicking in after a sumptuous five-minute guitar-led instrumental.
The funky single Black Man In A White World is full of passion, punctuated by hand claps, and another triumph.
Then there’s the gorgeous, wistful Falling and a title track that epitomises the singer’s bold new sound.
Here, Kiwanuka tells his story exclusively for SFTW . . .
To recap, tell us about growing up in North London and getting into music.
I had a very nice childhood; Muswell Hill is a great area. I got into music predominantly through school.
There were lots of bands and I joined maybe two or three. Aside from playing music, me and my mates would always be swapping CDs and broadening our tastes.
And when did you first start writing and performing your own songs?
The first song I wrote was at 16. I recorded it at my guitar teacher’s house but I never performed it anywhere.
I suppose I started writing properly when I when was 20, and then my first gig was at 22.
Did your family encourage you?
They did! Muswell Hill always seemed to be a place that encouraged taking up an instrument, whether it be a violin or a guitar.
To be honest, I didn’t know how I could turn my playing into a career but I went on to study music at university which my parents were happy about. They were very supportive.
Which musicians inspired you early on and why?
Jimi Hendrix — I loved his sound, and he looked very cool too. He played a Strat (Fender Stratocaster) and I had a Strat copy. He had an afro, I had an afro.
Then it was Kurt Cobain. He had such great songs. I love Nirvana. In Utero and Nevermind are incredible records.
Being around Jack White and Kanye, I was like a kid in a candy store
How do you look back on the experience of your debut album Home Again?
Generally, it was brilliant. The release of the first EP, Tell Me A Tale, was great.
I was giving my first interviews, playing my first gigs, first hearing my songs on the radio.
My first headline gig was at Social in London which felt like such a big deal at the time.
When I won the BBC Sound of 2012, everything started becoming more hectic, especially through touring.
I’d be in three different places within a week. It felt like a high adventure, and was so much fun.
Playing Fuji Rock, Lollapalooza, Byron Bay. I remember them fondly as amazing times.
And what did you learn from that whole process?
I learned you play a lot of festivals! And I learned how important set lists are for playing festivals.
How you put your music across is really a big deal, and if you do that well, you can gain more fans . . . don’t screw it up.
Perfecting a live performance was really important.
You were nominated for a Mercury Prize, toured with Adele, ended up in a studio with Kanye West, what did that level of success feel like?
It didn’t feel like that much success at the time. I’ve always felt that I’ve got a long way to go.
Regardless of what was happening, I could still do whatever I wanted to do when I wanted to do it.
I could still walk along the street and not get mobbed.
Being around those people who DO have that crazy success, like Jack White or Kanye, that felt exciting.
I was like a kid in a candy store.
It’s been four years since Home Again, can you explain some of the highs and lows of that period?
The highs? Working with Danger Mouse and Inflo on Love & Hate at the end of 2014, early 2015.
They taught me a fresh way of making music and I’m so proud of what’s been created.
The lows? Being stuck in a rut trying to write the record. Studio time wasn’t great. I felt low and lost plenty of confidence.
You said recently you “worried about everything and thought about giving up”, have you got over those feelings now?
Yes, I’ve got over those now. I didn’t need to worry. I’ve experienced those highs and lows, and gained enough experience of both sides.
I know not to get worried any more and am very excited about the new album.
What did you set out to achieve with album No2?
Firstly, I wanted to create something that stood alongside my peers, artists around today of my age.
I think there’s some really cool stuff on there. It’s more vulnerable lyrically, and I wanted to make statements sonically, lyrically and musically.
I wanted to introduce my guitar-playing more, and deliver something harder sound-wise. I wanted more of a soul record. Something electric and less acoustic.
In what ways is it different to your debut . . . musically and lyrically?
Ultimately it’s more vulnerable from my point of view. I went far deeper on this one. It needed to be tougher lyrically.
A song like Black Man In A White World is thought-provoking.
It needed to be more adventurous than the first album, more epic and fuller. It definitely is all those things.
How did you get to meet producer Danger Mouse (Brian Burton)?
I met Brian in early 2015, firstly through email. He was interested in working with me and it came at a point where I was really stuck in the rut.
He invited me over to his studio, so I went out to LA and we spent five days together hanging out and working in the studio and that’s how this all started. He helped me a lot.
What qualities did he bring to your album?
He has very strong ideas about how stuff should be done. Brian is very culturally aware too, and evoked that way of thinking on to me.
It’s important to make music that will affect people, and he taught me not to hide behind my lyrics.
How come Inflo got involved?
I met Inflo through my management who had worked with him before on a few things.
It took a little while to get going, but he’s done some amazing work on this record.
And what about your long-time producer Paul Butler?
We started working together in February 2014 and worked solidly for almost a year on the record.
There are still a number of tracks from those sessions on the record. It’s nice to meet other people to make a record with, but Paul is the man.
Paul is a genius. Sonically, he’s just incredible.
Starting with a ten-minute track on which you don’t sing for the first five minutes is quite a statement; tell us about the amazing Cold Little Heart?
I wanted this album to make some statements. That’s one fine example of a statement.
It’s got an old-school, classic sound to it. I was listening to a lot of Isaac Hayes. He made patient music.
Give it room to breathe. Nobody does that sort of thing any more. Isaac is a big influence on my music.
You sing, “Oh, I can’t stand myself”, how important is it for you to be upfront and honest in your songs?
Very important. My favourite artists do that. You connect better with people depending on how honest you are.
I want my music to make people feel good and maybe inspire
Would you say self-doubt is an abiding theme of the album?
Yes, definitely. I doubted myself loads during the making of the album and I think there’s an underlying presence of that left in the lyrics and music. Was the first album a fluke? Could I still do it?
You sing of being a Black Man In A White World, can you elaborate on that?
It’s about identity. How difficult it is to be an individual, and the effort it takes to be an individual. I think most people prefer to hang out in groups.
It’s about being in the minority growing up. People thought I was weird for being into rock music.
They thought that was weird, but why should it be weird?
It wasn’t just rock music, it was lots of stuff. I didn’t really fit people’s expectations of what they thought I was.
Your guitar playing is more prominent, was that a conscious aim?
Yes, definitely. I love the guitar and I really wanted to play it more live. So on Love & Hate I made a conscious effort to use it much more.
Can you reveal your guitar heroes and which of their songs or albums you love?
George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass. The guitar solo on Funkadelic’s Maggot Brain is something else.
Isaac Hayes, Jimi Hendrix and David Gilmour. Wish You Were Here was the first solo I learned to play on an acoustic guitar. Those guys you can trust.
What inspired the title track Love & Hate?
Musically, it was probably most inspired by Marvin Gaye. I wanted to get that soul sound across.
The guitar parts are probably a bit Neil Young, another of my guitar heroes. I wanted something euphoric and epic-sounding. Cinematic and grand in scope.
Finally, what do you hope to achieve from your life in music?
I want to make loads of records, and try to have a very long career.
I want my music to make people feel good — to connect with and maybe even inspire some young people to write themselves or just pick up a guitar.
I also want my music to reflect the times I’m in. That’s what all the best artists do.